To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications （DMC）， refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles， and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine， hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， was held in Beijing， 2024. Experts in TCM， Western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis， diagnostic and treatment challenges， and mechanism research related to DMC， ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development， research prioritization， and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM， strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.

This paper summarizes Professor WANG Xixing's clinical experience in treating immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis （CIP） based on the theory of "cough attributed to the five zang （脏） organs". Cough is a common predominant symptom of CIP. According to the theory of "cough attributed to the five zang organs"， drug toxicity triggers cancer toxin， leading to disharmony among the five zang organs， and then lung failing to diffuse and govern descent as the core pathogenesis. Therefore， treatment should focus on harmonizing the five zang organs to restore the normal function of lung qi to diffuse and govern descent. In clinical practice， CIP can be classified into four syndrome patterns， including lung yin depletion， deficiency of both the lung and the spleen with phlegm-dampness， liver fire harassing the lung， and lung-kidney yin deficiency. Correspondingly， Chaimai Jinluo Runfei Decoction （柴麦金络润肺汤） is used to nourish yin and moisten the lung； Qigui Peitu Huayin Decoction （芪桂培土化饮汤） is used to fortify the spleen and tonify the lung， resolve dampness and dispel phlegm； Chaidan Shuyu Runjin Decoction （柴丹疏郁润金汤） is used to drain liver and clear the lung； and Dimai Jinshui Xiangsheng Decoction （地脉金水相生汤） is used to nourish the kidney and moisten the lung.

This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of liquiritin (LQ) in the improvement of ventricular remodeling (VR) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Molecular docking was used to predict the binding affinity of liquiritin to thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). After 2 weeks of modeling, the rats were randomly divided into a model group, a low-dose liquiritin group (20 mg/kg LQ), and a high-dose liquiritin group (40 mg/kg LQ). Liquiritin was administered by gavage once a day, and the sham group and model group were given the same volume of 0.5% sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC-Na), with intervention of 4 consecutive weeks. Echocardiography was employed to detect the cardiac function, HE staining was used to observe cardiological changes, ELISA was used to detect the activity of serum creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) activity, and the colorimetric method was adopted to detect serum malondialdehyde (MDA), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. RT-qPCR was used to detect the gene expressions of TXNIP, thioredoxin (TRX) and NACHT, LRR, and PYD domains-containing protein 3(NLRP3). Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of TXNIP, TRX and NLRP3 in rat myocardial tissue. Molecular docking results showed that liquiritin had a good binding affinity to TNXIP target. After 20 and 40 mg/kg liquiritin intervention, the levels of ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) were significantly increased (P<0.01), and the levels of LVIDs, LVIDd, LVESV, and LVEDV were decreased (P<0.01). The myocardial structure was significantly improved, the cell arrangement tended to be regular, and the area of inflammatory cell infiltration and necrosis was reduced. Liquiritin significantly reduced the level of CK-MB (P<0.01), decreased the activity of MDA, and increased the activities of CAT and T-SOD (P<0.01). Liquiritin effectively inhibited the overexpression of TXNIP and NLRP3 genes and proteins, and enhanced the expression of TRX genes and proteins in the myocardial tissues of AMI rats. In conclusion, liquiritin has a regulatory effect on the TXNIP/TRX signaling pathway, inhibits the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, and thus improves ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction.

"Weibing" is a fundamental concept in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), representing a transitional state characterized by diminished self-regulatory abilities without overt physiological or social dysfunction. This perspective delves into the biological foundations and quantifiable markers of Weibing, aiming to establish a research framework for early disease intervention. Here, we propose the "Health Quadrant Classification" system, which divides the state of human body into health, sub-health, disease-susceptible state, and disease. We suggest the disease-susceptible stage emerges as a pivotal point for TCM interventions. To understand the intrinsic dynamics of this state, we propose laboratory and clinical studies utilizing time-series experiments and stress-induced disease susceptibility models. At the molecular level, bio-omics technologies and bioinformatics approaches are highlighted for uncovering intricate changes during disease progression. Furthermore, we discuss the application of mathematical models and artificial intelligence in developing early warning systems to anticipate and avert the transition from health to disease. This approach resonates with TCM's preventive philosophy, emphasizing proactive health maintenance and disease prevention. Ultimately, our perspective underscores the significance of integrating modern scientific methodologies with TCM principles to propel Weibing research and early intervention strategies forward.

Natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising candidates for the development of a new generation of antimicrobials to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens. They have found extensive applications in the fields of medicine, food, and agriculture. However, efficiently screening AMPs from natural sources poses several challenges, including low efficiency and high antibiotic resistance. This review focuses on the action mechanisms of AMPs, both through membrane and non-membrane routes. We thoroughly examine various highly efficient AMP screening methods, including whole-bacterial adsorption binding, cell membrane chromatography (CMC), phospholipid membrane chromatography binding, membrane-mediated capillary electrophoresis (CE), colorimetric assays, thin layer chromatography (TLC), fluorescence-based screening, genetic sequencing-based analysis, computational mining of AMP databases, and virtual screening methods. Additionally, we discuss potential developmental applications for enhancing the efficiency of AMP discovery. This review provides a comprehensive framework for identifying AMPs within complex natural product systems.

Soil cadmium pollution can adversely affect the cultivation of the ornamental plant, Coleus scutellarioides. Upon cadmium contamination of the soil, the growth of C. scutellarioides is impeded, and it may even succumb to the toxic accumulation of cadmium. In this study, we investigated the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the adaptation of C. scutellarioides to cadmium stress, by measuring the physiological metabolism and the degree of root damage of C. scutellarioides, with Aspergillus oryzae as the test fungi. The results indicated that cadmium stress increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline (Pro) within the cells of C. scutellarioides, but inhibited mycorrhizal infestation rate, root vigour and growth rate to a great degree. With the same cadmium concentration, the inoculation of AMF significantly improved the physiological indexes of C. scutellarioides. The maximum decrease of MDA content was 42.16%, and the content of secondary metabolites rosemarinic acid and anthocyanosides could be increased by up to 27.43% and 25.72%, respectively. Meanwhile, the increase of root vigour was as high as 35.35%, and the DNA damage of the root system was obviously repaired. In conclusion, the inoculation of AMF can promote the accumulation of secondary metabolites, alleviate root damage, and enhance the tolerance to cadmium stress in C. scutellarioides.
Cadmium/toxicity* ; Mycorrhizae/physiology* ; Plant Roots/drug effects* ; Soil Pollutants/toxicity* ; Stress, Physiological ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism*

Flowering and bolting are important agronomic traits in cruciferous crops such as Brassica juncea. Timely flowering can ensure the crop organ yield and quality, as well as seed propagation. The WRKY family plays an important role in regulating plant bolting and flowering, while the function and mechanism of WRKY12 in B. juncea remain unknown. To explore its function and mechanism in bolting and flowering of B. juncea, we cloned and characterized the BjuWRKY12 gene in B. juncea and found that its expression levels were significantly higher in flowers and inflorescences than in leaves. BjuWRKY12 belonged to the Ⅱc subfamily of the WRKY family, and subcellular localization indicated that the protein was located in the nucleus. Ectopic overexpression of BjuWRKY12 in transgenic lines promoted bolting and flowering, leading to significant increases in the expression levels of flowering integrators SOC1 and FUL. Furthermore, yeast one-hybrid and dual luciferase reporter system assays confirmed that BjuWRKY12 directly bound to the promoters of BjuSOC1 and BjuFUL, undergoing protein-DNA interactions. This discovery gives new insights into the regulation network and molecular mechanisms of BjuWRKY12, laying a theoretical foundation for the breeding of high-yield and high-quality varieties of B. juncea.
Mustard Plant/metabolism* ; Flowers/growth & development* ; Plant Proteins/physiology* ; Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; MADS Domain Proteins/metabolism*

Objective:To explore the feasibility and clinical outcomes of transperineal prostate multimodal image fusion-targeted biopsy under the day surgery model.Methods:Clinical data of 258 patients who underwent transperineal prostate biopsy at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University between December 2022 and June 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups，and the experimental group（ n = 141）underwent transperineal prostate multi-modal image-fusion targeted biopsy in the day-surgery mode，with age of（70.0 ± 8.8）years，median prostate-specific antigen（PSA）level of 11.10（7.63?17.06）ng/ml，and median Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System（PI-RADS）score of 4（3，5）. The control group（ n = 117）underwent traditional transperineal systematic biopsy，with age of（69.3 ± 7.4）years，median PSA of 25.20（16.18-54.40）ng/ml，and median PI-RADS score of 4（3，5）. The experimental group was given the day surgery mode：preoperatively，multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging（mpMRI）of the prostate was multimodally fused with ultrasound images，the location of target lesions in the prostate was manually mapped，and a targeted biopsy plan was developed. Intraoperatively，under ultrasound guidance，precise puncture was performed at the lesion sites，followed by systematic biopsy. After the operation，the patients were observed for 4-6 hours，and could be discharged if there were no obvious abnormalities，with the total hospitalization time within 24 hours. For the control group，the conventional biopsy mode was used. Intraoperatively，under ultrasound guidance，the standard 12-core transperineal systematic biopsy protocol was adopted，and sampling was conducted according to the anatomical regions of the prostate（base，midportion，apex，transition zone，and peripheral zone）to cover the entire gland. Patients in this group required routine hospitalization，with a hospital stay of 3-5 days. Operative time，intraoperative pain Numerical Rating Scale（NRS）score，complications within one week postoperatively，treatment costs，overall prostate cancer detection rate，and clinically significant prostate cancer（csPCa，defined as Gleason score ≥ 7 or pathological stage ≥ T 2b）detection rate were compared between the two groups. Results:All procedures were successfully completed without special incidents. The operative time was（13.49 ± 2.00）min in the experimental group and（13.05 ± 2.89）min in the control group，showing no significant difference（ P > 0.05）. The intraoperative pain NRS scores were（3.01 ± 1.17）and（3.10 ± 1.25）in the experimental and control groups，respectively，with no significant difference（ P > 0.05）. Pathological examination revealed that the overall prostate cancer detection rates were 46.8%（66/141）in the experimental group and 42.7%（50/117）in the control group，while the csPCa detection rates were 35.5%（50/141）and 31.6%（37/117），respectively. The differences were not statistically significant（ P > 0.05）. The complication rate was 6.4%（9/141）in the experimental group（including 2 cases of acute urinary retention，3 hematuria，3 fever，and 1 sepsis）and 6.0%（7/117）in the control group（including 3 acute urinary retention，1 hematuria，2 fever，and 1 sepsis），with no significant difference（ P > 0.05）. All complications improved after symptomatic treatment. The treatment costs were（4 063.25 ± 67.26）yuan in the experimental group and（5 185.14 ± 469.15）yuan in the control group，demonstrating a statistically significant difference（ P < 0.05）. Conclusions:Transperineal prostate multimodal image fusion-targeted biopsy can be safely performed under the day surgery model，offering advantages including a relatively high detection rate for csPCa，low complication rate，and better cost-effectiveness.

Objective To analyze the causal relationship between brain resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rsfMRI)network and myocardial infarction using the Mendelian randomization(MR)research method.Methods Four analytical methods of MR[inverse-variance weighted(IVW),weighted median method(WME),weighted mode method,and MR-Egger method]were used to conduct a two-way two-sample analysis between 191 types of rsfMRI phenotypes of the brain(34 691 types)and myocardial infarction.And based on the aggregated analysis of genome-wide association studies(GWAS)data,MR was used to explain the causal relationship between the two.Then,the IVW method was used for analysis and research as the main result,and other analytical methods were used as supplementary analyses.Finally,the credibility of the results was verified by using sensitivity analysis.Results The neural connection activities located at the edge of the fusiform gyrus of the temporal lobe and the default mode network[odds ratio(OR)=1.260,95%confidence interval(95%CI)1.120-1.420,P<0.001]may increase the risk of myocardial infarction.In addition,the motor and subcortical cerebellar networks located in the posterior central gyrus,anterior central gyrus,and cerebellum(OR=0.770,95%CI was 0.680-0.880,P<0.001),and the subcortical cerebellar and motor networks located in the cerebellum and paracentric lobules(OR=0.810,95%CI was 0.720-0.900,P<0.001)and the neural connection activities of the motor and subcortical cerebellar networks located in the posterior central gyrus,anterior central gyrus and subcortex(OR=0.730,95%CI was 0.630-0.840,P<0.001)were associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction.Sensitivity analysis showed that the research results were reliable,and after the reverse MR study,it was confirmed that there was no reverse causal association between the two.Conclusion The network signals located at the edge of the fusiform gyrus of the temporal lobe and in the default mode may be potential risk factors for myocardial infarction;the motor and subcortical cerebellar networks located in the posterior central gyrus,anterior central gyrus and cerebellum,as well as the subcortical cerebellar and motor networks located in the cerebellum and paracentric lobules,and the neural connection activities of the motor and subcortical cerebellar networks located in the posterior central gyrus,anterior central gyrus and subcortex may be potential protective factors,providing new ideas for the prevention and treatment of myocardial infarction.